Service Categories: Specialties

Trauma-Informed Therapy

 

Trauma-informed therapy isn’t a single technique—it’s an orientation to care that recognizes how profoundly trauma shapes a person’s nervous system, relationships, and sense of self. At Oak Tree Behavioral Services, trauma-informed principles are woven into everything we do: we ask ‘what happened to you?’ before ‘what’s wrong with you?’

What We Offer

  • Complex PTSD and developmental trauma
  • Childhood abuse, neglect, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
  • Sexual trauma and assault
  • Domestic violence and intimate partner violence
  • Medical trauma and traumatic illness
  • Racial and intergenerational trauma
  • Trauma in veterans and first responders
  • Secondary traumatic stress in caregivers and clinicians

How It Works

Trauma-informed therapy begins with safety and stabilization before any deep processing work. We use a phase-based model: establishing safety and building coping resources, processing traumatic material at a pace the nervous system can tolerate, and integration of new meaning and identity. Modalities include EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, somatic awareness, and narrative approaches.

Who This Is For

Anyone with a history of trauma—whether single-incident or complex/developmental—can benefit from trauma-informed care. We work with adults, teens, and children, and take special care with clients who have experienced re-traumatization in previous therapeutic relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is trauma-informed therapy the same as EMDR?
EMDR is one evidence-based trauma treatment we use within a trauma-informed framework. Trauma-informed therapy is a broader orientation that influences how we conduct all of our work.
Do I have to talk about what happened to me?
No. Trauma-informed care prioritizes safety and your sense of control. You set the pace. Effective trauma treatment doesn’t require full verbal disclosure.
What if I’ve been re-traumatized by therapy in the past?
This is unfortunately common, and we take it seriously. We move slowly, build safety first, and let you lead.
How long does trauma therapy take?
It varies based on trauma complexity, current stability, and goals. Single-incident trauma may resolve in months; complex developmental trauma often takes longer.

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy go deeper than symptoms—they explore the unconscious patterns, early relationships, and hidden motivations that shape how you experience yourself and the world. If you’ve addressed surface symptoms but still feel something is unresolved at a deeper level, psychodynamic work may be the piece you’ve been missing.

What We Offer

  • Chronic depression or emptiness with unclear cause
  • Recurring relationship patterns that confuse or frustrate you
  • Identity struggles and a fragmented sense of self
  • Anxiety rooted in unconscious conflict
  • Personality patterns affecting relationships and work
  • Trauma with complex interpersonal roots
  • A desire to understand yourself more deeply
  • Feeling ‘stuck’ despite previous treatment

How It Works

Psychodynamic therapy is exploratory and open-ended. Sessions focus on your free associations, dreams, relationship patterns, and the therapeutic relationship itself as a window into your inner life. The pace is slower and the goals are deeper than symptom relief—we’re working to understand the structure of your psychology.

Who This Is For

Psychodynamic therapy is best suited for individuals who are psychologically minded, motivated to explore, and interested in understanding themselves rather than just managing symptoms. It’s often used alongside or after more structured approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as Freudian therapy?
Psychoanalysis has evolved considerably since Freud. Modern psychodynamic therapy incorporates object relations, attachment theory, and relational approaches alongside classical concepts.
Is psychodynamic therapy evidence-based?
Yes. A substantial research literature supports the effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy, particularly for complex, chronic, and personality-level difficulties.
How long does psychodynamic therapy take?
It’s typically longer-term than CBT—often a year or more—because the goals are deeper. Brief psychodynamic therapy is also available for focused concerns.
Will I lie on a couch?
No. Modern psychodynamic therapy is conducted face-to-face in a conversational format.

Person-Centered Therapy

Person-centered therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, is built on a radical idea: that given the right conditions, people naturally move toward growth and healing. Rather than directing or diagnosing, the therapist provides unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuine presence—creating the relational conditions in which people find their own answers.

What We Offer

  • Self-exploration and personal growth
  • Identity and self-concept work
  • Life transitions and finding meaning
  • Depression and emotional emptiness
  • Anxiety rooted in self-judgment or perfectionism
  • Relationship patterns and attachment
  • Low self-worth and chronic self-criticism
  • Grief and loss

How It Works

Person-centered therapy is less structured than CBT or DBT—the client leads, and the therapist follows. Sessions are shaped by what you bring. The therapeutic relationship itself is the primary instrument of change. This approach is often integrated with other modalities rather than used in isolation.

Who This Is For

Person-centered therapy is well-suited for individuals seeking self-understanding, meaning-making, or personal growth—as well as those who have felt judged, pathologized, or unheard in previous therapeutic relationships. It works across the lifespan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is person-centered therapy ‘just talking’?
It’s more than that. The quality of the therapeutic relationship in person-centered work produces genuine neurobiological and psychological change. The conditions Rogers identified aren’t passive—they’re precise and demanding.
Is this approach evidence-based?
Yes. Person-centered therapy has a strong evidence base, particularly for depression, anxiety, and personal growth outcomes.
How is this different from other therapy approaches?
Most approaches are therapist-directed. Person-centered therapy is client-directed—the therapist’s role is to create conditions for growth, not prescribe a path.
Can it be combined with other approaches?
Yes. Many of our therapists integrate person-centered principles with CBT, DBT, or trauma-focused approaches.

EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a gold-standard trauma treatment recognized by the American Psychological Association, the VA, and the World Health Organization. It helps the brain finish processing traumatic memories that got ‘stuck’—so they stop intruding on your present life. EMDR doesn’t require you to talk through your trauma in detail, making it accessible for people who have struggled with traditional talk therapy.

What We Offer

  • PTSD from combat, assault, accidents, or childhood trauma
  • Complex PTSD and developmental trauma
  • Phobias and performance anxiety
  • Grief and complicated loss
  • Disturbing memories that won’t go away
  • Panic disorder with identifiable triggers
  • Negative core beliefs rooted in past experience
  • Military sexual trauma (MST)

How It Works

EMDR follows a structured “eight-phase protocol”. After thorough preparation and stabilization, we identify target memories and process them using bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements or tapping). Clients often describe a natural desensitization—the memory remains, but its emotional charge diminishes significantly. Most EMDR treatment for a single trauma occurs within 6–12 sessions.

Who This Is For

EMDR is appropriate for adults and adolescents with trauma histories. It is particularly valuable for people who have already tried talk therapy and felt limited by it, or for those who find it difficult to verbalize their trauma experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does EMDR require talking about my trauma?
No. EMDR processes trauma through bilateral stimulation while you hold the memory in mind—you don’t need to narrate it in detail to your therapist.
Is EMDR scientifically proven?
Yes. EMDR has been validated in dozens of randomized controlled trials and is endorsed by the APA, VA, WHO, and SAMHSA as an evidence-based trauma treatment.
How quickly does EMDR work?
Many people experience significant relief within 6–12 sessions. Results vary based on trauma history complexity.
Can EMDR be done via telehealth?
Yes. EMDR has been adapted for telehealth delivery and is effective in that format.

Family therapy

The family is the most powerful shaping force in any person’s life. When family systems are struggling—whether from conflict, trauma, a member’s mental health or addiction, or simply the accumulated weight of unspoken things—family therapy offers a structured space to interrupt harmful patterns and build something healthier.

What We Offer

  • Parent-child conflict and communication breakdown
  • Blended family and step-family adjustment
  • Impact of addiction or mental illness on the family
  • Divorce, separation, and co-parenting
  • Sibling conflict and family roles
  • Grief and loss within the family system
  • Intergenerational trauma and family patterns
  • Family crisis support and stabilization

How It Works

Family therapy typically begins with a joint session to assess the full system, followed by a flexible combination of family sessions and individual work as indicated. We use family systems theory, Structural Family Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy to identify patterns and create new ones.

Who This Is For

We work with families of all structures—biological, blended, adoptive, same-sex parent, multigenerational, and more. Sessions can include whoever is part of the relevant system, from young children to grandparents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does everyone have to come to every session?
Not necessarily. The configuration of who attends is flexible and determined by the therapeutic goals.
Can family therapy help even if one person won’t participate?
Yes. Working with even part of the family system can produce significant change.
Is family therapy covered by insurance?
Yes, when one family member has a clinical diagnosis. We’ll clarify coverage during intake.
What if family members have very different views on the problem?
That’s extremely common—and exactly what family therapy is designed to work with. Different perspectives are treated as information, not obstacles.

Firearm Informed Therapy

 

Firearm-informed therapy is a clinical approach that takes a client’s relationship with firearms seriously—without judgment, without agenda, and without the assumption that gun ownership is itself a problem. For millions of Americans, firearms are central to identity, vocation, culture, and safety. Clinicians who don’t understand that world can inadvertently alienate the very people who most need care.

What We Offer

  • Mental health therapy for firearm owners
  • Lethal means safety counseling and crisis planning
  • Therapy for veterans, first responders, and active duty
  • Suicide prevention with a Second Amendment-affirming lens
  • Support for law enforcement and military personnel
  • Family members of firearm owners navigating mental health concerns
  • Clinician training in firearm-informed practice
  • Integration of safe storage conversations into standard care

How It Works

Firearm-informed therapy doesn’t treat firearms as the problem—it treats the person. Our clinicians are trained to discuss firearms fluently and without stigma, to integrate lethal means safety naturally into treatment planning, and to build the kind of trust that allows gun-owning clients to engage honestly in therapy.

Who This Is For

We serve gun owners of all backgrounds, veterans, active-duty service members, law enforcement, first responders, hunters, competitive shooters, and anyone whose relationship with firearms intersects with their mental health. We also serve family members navigating concerns about a loved one who owns firearms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my guns be taken away if I come to therapy?
No. Therapy is confidential. Our approach is collaborative and non-coercive. Lethal means safety conversations are about keeping you safe—not removing your rights.
Why does it matter if a therapist is firearm-informed?
Clients who feel judged or misunderstood about firearms often disengage from care entirely. A firearm-informed therapist builds the trust necessary for real therapeutic work.
Is this approach Second Amendment affirming?
Yes. We respect firearm ownership as a legal right and a meaningful part of many clients’ identity and livelihood.
Do you provide safe storage counseling?
Yes. Safe storage conversations are a natural part of our clinical work—approached collaboratively and without coercion.

Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling

 

Clinical rehabilitation counseling supports individuals whose physical health, disability, or injury has created significant psychological, vocational, or functional challenges. Our rehabilitation counselors help clients navigate the emotional and practical dimensions of living with disability, chronic illness, brain injury, or the aftermath of a significant medical event.

What We Offer

  • Adjustment to disability or chronic illness
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation support
  • Vocational and return-to-work counseling
  • Chronic pain and functional limitation
  • Psychosocial adjustment following injury or surgery
  • Coordination with medical and rehabilitation teams
  • Benefits and systems navigation
  • Identity and grief related to changed functioning

How It Works

Rehabilitation counseling integrates psychological support with practical planning. We address the emotional dimensions of functional loss—grief, identity disruption, anxiety, depression—alongside practical concerns like vocational goals, accommodation planning, and navigating disability systems.

Who This Is For

We serve individuals with physical disabilities, acquired injuries, TBI, chronic illness, and those transitioning back to work or community life following a major medical event. We frequently coordinate with physicians, occupational therapists, and vocational rehabilitation services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rehabilitation counseling covered by insurance?
Yes. Clinical rehabilitation counseling is a covered behavioral health service under most insurance plans. Vocational services may have separate funding through Colorado DVR.
Do you work with Colorado’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)?
Yes. We are familiar with DVR processes and can coordinate services with vocational rehabilitation counselors.
How is this different from physical rehabilitation?
Physical rehabilitation focuses on physical function. Clinical rehabilitation counseling addresses the psychological, emotional, and vocational dimensions of living with disability or injury.
Do you work with veterans with disabilities?
Yes. We have significant experience with veteran TBI, service-connected disability, and the transition challenges that accompany them.

Play Therapy for Children

 

Play is children’s language. Long before they have words for their experiences, children communicate through play—working through fear, loss, confusion, and trauma in the only language they’ve mastered. Play therapy is a structured, evidence-based approach that uses play as the primary therapeutic medium, meeting children exactly where they are developmentally.

What We Offer

  • Anxiety and fearfulness in young children
  • Grief and loss (including pet loss and family changes)
  • Trauma and abuse processing
  • Divorce, family transition, or new sibling adjustment
  • Behavioral challenges in young children
  • Social skills and peer relationship difficulties
  • ADHD-related struggles in early childhood
  • Selective mutism

How It Works

Play therapy sessions take place in a specially equipped playroom with a range of toys, art supplies, sand trays, and expressive materials. The therapist follows the child’s lead while observing themes and patterns in play, offering reflections and gentle interventions. Parents receive regular updates and are often involved in filial therapy components.

Who This Is For

Play therapy is most appropriate for children ages 3–12. It is particularly valuable for children who struggle to verbalize their experiences, have experienced trauma, or are going through significant life changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is play therapy ‘real’ therapy?
Yes. Play therapy is backed by decades of research and is recognized as an evidence-based treatment by the Association for Play Therapy. Children process and heal through play the way adults process through words.
Will I know what happens in sessions?
Your therapist will provide regular parent updates while maintaining the therapeutic confidentiality that allows children to feel safe in the playroom.
How long does play therapy take?
Duration varies based on the child’s needs. Many children show meaningful improvement within 10–20 sessions.
Does my child need to talk in sessions?
No. Many children, especially those who have experienced trauma, benefit from play therapy precisely because verbal expression is not required.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed for borderline personality disorder—but its skills-based approach to emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness has proven valuable for a wide range of conditions. DBT teaches you to hold two truths at once: you are doing the best you can, and you can do better.

What We Offer

  • Emotional dysregulation and mood instability
  • Self-harm and non-suicidal self-injury
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance use and impulsive behavior
  • Chronic suicidal ideation
  • Relationship instability and fear of abandonment
  • Trauma with significant emotional dysregulation

How It Works

DBT skills are organized into four modules: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotional Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. In individual therapy, we apply these skills to your specific challenges and work through the patterns that keep you stuck. We offer DBT-informed individual therapy; full DBT programs with skills groups are also available by referral.

Who This Is For

DBT is most commonly used with adolescents and adults who struggle with intense emotions, impulsive behavior, or self-destructive patterns. It’s particularly well-suited for people who have found other therapies insufficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a BPD diagnosis to benefit from DBT?
No. DBT skills are valuable for anyone who struggles with emotional intensity, impulse control, or relationships—regardless of diagnosis.
Is DBT different from CBT?
DBT grew out of CBT but adds a dialectical philosophy, mindfulness practice, and an explicit focus on acceptance alongside change.
Does DBT require a skills group?
Full DBT includes both individual therapy and a skills group. We offer DBT-informed individual therapy, which incorporates skills training within sessions.
Is DBT covered by insurance?
Yes. DBT is an evidence-based treatment covered by most behavioral health insurance plans.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most extensively researched form of psychotherapy in existence—with decades of clinical trials demonstrating its effectiveness across a wide range of conditions. CBT works on the principle that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and that changing unhelpful thinking patterns produces meaningful, lasting change in how we feel and act.

What We Offer

  • CBT for depression and low mood
  • CBT for anxiety, panic, and worry
  • CBT for OCD and intrusive thoughts
  • CBT for PTSD and trauma
  • CBT for chronic pain and illness
  • CBT for insomnia (CBT-I)
  • CBT for eating disorders (CBT-E)
  • CBT for substance use and addiction

How It Works

CBT is structured and goal-directed. Sessions involve identifying specific thought patterns and behavioral habits, examining the evidence for and against them, and practicing new ways of thinking and acting between sessions. Most CBT protocols are time-limited—many conditions respond significantly within 12–20 sessions.

Who This Is For

CBT is appropriate for adults, teens, and children (with age-appropriate adaptations). It works best for people who are motivated to engage actively between sessions, as homework and practice are integral to the approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CBT the right therapy for me?
CBT has the strongest evidence base of any therapeutic modality for most common mental health conditions. Your therapist will discuss whether it’s the best fit for your specific situation.
Does CBT involve homework?
Yes. Between-session practice is a core component. This might include thought records, behavioral experiments, or exposure exercises.
How many sessions does CBT take?
Most CBT protocols are 12–20 sessions. Some focused interventions (like CBT-I for insomnia) can be effective in as few as 6–8 sessions.
Is CBT covered by insurance?
Yes. CBT is a recognized evidence-based treatment and is covered by virtually all behavioral health insurance plans.